Spotted lanternfly continues infestation of Virginia; ‘learning to live with them’

The spotted lanternfly infestation continues to spread in Virginia with 17 additional localities added to a list of quarantine areas.

Quarantine areas include Albemarle, Augusta, Carroll, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Prince William, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren and Wythe counties, and the cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

To help control the population, a Virginia Tech expert is asking you to be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly egg masses when you are out for a walk or hike.

The egg masses resemble mud patches and will hatch in the spring if they aren’t destroyed now.

Spotted lanternflies remain a nuisance for homeowners and a threat to crops. Spotted lanternflies feed on more than 100 plant species including apples, stone fruits, hops and ornamental plants and are particularly destructive for wine grapes.

“Since they don’t hatch until early April, you can get in there, scrape them off and get some control,” said Eric Day, an entomologist and manager of Virginia Tech’s Insect Identification Lab. “And by looking for the egg masses, you’ll see if you have the presence of spotted lanternflies alerting you to a potential problem down the road.

“You’re never going to get them all,” Day said.

However, a search of your property may help you see how prevalent they are and make informed decisions about management.

“We’re at the unfortunate state where they’re pretty well established, and people are learning to live with them,” said Day.

Finding and killing lanternfly egg masses

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Finding lanternfly egg masses

Lanternfly egg masses are found on the underside of branches, on tree trunks, vehicles, homes, lawn furniture, grills, dog houses and decorative yard items. They’ve also been seen on fencing, tarps, decking, construction materials and firewood.

The oval-shaped egg masses are approximately 1.5 inches long and half an inch wide and may contain up to 50 eggs.

Shiny gray when fresh, the egg masses turn a dull grayish brown resembling mud.

Killing lanternfly egg masses

• The egg masses can be scraped off surfaces using scraper cards or anything hard, tapered and flat.
• To kill them, put them into a resealable bag with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
• They also can be smashed with a stick or rock.

Spotted lanternflies in Virginia

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Spotted lanternflies continue to expand their range, with 17 more Virginia counties recently added to the map of current quarantine and known infestation areas.

Residents living outside of current quarantine or known infestation areas are encouraged to report any spotted lanternfly sightings with their local Extension office.

There is no need to report spotted lanternflies found inside current infested zones.